Smartphone Etiquette on Date Night, Rules to Follow

Long gone are the days of self-distraction (e.g., checking your cuticles and running off to the bathroom) during a dinner date. Luckily, nowadays, we have our smartphones handy at all times to divert our attention and alleviate those awkward moments of silence during a rendezvous.

But should we?

According to frequent Forbes contributor Michael T. Mathews, a date should be just between the two of you. And nobody else. In other words, no cell phones on the table and certainly no texting during a date.

In his guide, Mobile Phone Etiquette: The Dinner Date, Mathews gives a few tips to ensure a proper, traditional date in an age where smartphone usage is ubiquitous, based on his own personal experiences and feedback from social media marketers.

According to the journal Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, people on average check their phones 34 times per day, even when it is not necessary. Checking smartphones, today, has not only become a habit but an involuntary action, like breathing (sadly).

Fret not, because Mathews, or Joe Date, has detailed the smartphone etiquette on date night, including pre-, during and post-date, to ensure a proper evening. The rules include protocol for Groupon, Foursquare and the inevitable decorum for Facebook friend requests.